National Initiatives

Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities

Appendix:
Report On The Strategic Planning Session

Citizenship and Immigration Canada - Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee

Halifax

March 30, 2005

During the day, the Steering Committee addressed three subjects:

1. A look back: What are the main lessons learned?
2. A look ahead: What are the building blocks for the future?
3. Further discussion of some key subjects

The moderator was Ronald Bisson, who also prepared this report.

A look back: What are the main lessons learned since the initiative was launched in 2002?

Divided into six informal subgroups, participants held a 30-minute discussion and then shared their thoughts in plenary. The following are the highlights of their discussions:

• The communities' absorption capacity needs to be increased. We must achieve integration, not just immigration.
• Immigration is a relatively new phenomenon in our communities. We need specific objectives.
• Experience since 2002 confirms that the strategic framework is realistic. It will be possible to build on what is already in place.
• The effects are more lasting in locations where provincial governments are playing an active role. Application of the language clauses of the agreements is uneven.
• Immigration is a complex process involving many participants at the federal, provincial, municipal and community levels. Their efforts need to be coordinated. Moreover, immigration affects many dimensions of people's lives: the family (often a forgotten element), employment, schooling and so on.
• It is very important to have a structure in which governments and the community participate and which ensures active and sustained coordination. The initiative needs champions.
• There is a need for a thorough understanding of the phenomenon of Francophone immigration. This requires detailed community profiles.
• The reception and integration of refugees must be handled differently from the reception and integration of immigrants.
• Research will be required into the phenomenon of emigration following immigration. People travel and move between provinces after coming to Canada.
• An increased promotional effort against racism is needed.
• People need to receive the right information.
• Ability to function in English is a necessity for French-speaking immigrants living in most minority Francophone communities.
• In the area of immigration, success takes time. We have to take a long-term view.

A look ahead: What are the building blocks for the future?

Participants worked individually on their answers to this question and then shared them in informal subgroups. The table on the following page presents the information as it was generated. Each subgroup presented its views in plenary, and all the ideas generated were divided into categories. Finally, the group assigned a title to each category that summarized the theme.

The highlights with respect to the building blocks identified in plenary, following this exercise, were as follows:

• A specific integrated strategy for Francophone immigration into the communities concerned will be required. The integrated strategy will have to include an organized funding structure if our goals are to be achieved. A competitive approach using calls for proposals is not the way to go.
• The roles of the various entities participating must be clear.
• Research will be needed to achieve a better understanding of the circumstances in which immigrants live.
• A voice or an image—or both—identified with this issue will be needed.
• The community will need tools.
• Existing networks must be exploited in order to avoid duplication.
• The agreements with the provinces and territories must have language clauses.
• People will speak French at home, but will likely speak English at work. English should be taught in French-language institutions.
• The three priorities for Francophone immigration are employment, health and education.

Subgroup discussions in response to the question: What are the building blocks for the future? The titles summarize each category

Settlement: Roles And Commitment

• integration into society: five-pronged approach (Canada, provinces, communities, municipalities, employers): better settlement and less duplication; improve integration strategies: skill upgrades, support for entrepreneuship, on-the-job training
  • more rigorous programs for provincial nominees
  • definition of roles, contributions by the federal government, the provinces, private agencies
• work with small local communities to define specific immigration projects geared to local needs
  • language clauses in agreements as levers for implementation and ad hoc, targeted follow-up
• alert provinces to Francophone immigration issues, commitment by the provinces, better dovetailing of federal, provincial, territorial and community efforts
• continue awareness activities at the community level
• better awareness of the importance and complexity of immigration in Canada: accent on cultural diversity
• links between communities, provinces and the federal government; the community must be involved at the grass-roots level
• broader coordination to involve the private sector

Community Reception And Integration Structures

• ensure that immigrants make informed choices, and respect the choices they make
  • the community builds the host community (Steinbach, Manitoba, model)
  • recognition and better understanding of the phenomenon of secondary immigration (for example, extend access to programs for up to 5 years)
• more French-speaking temporary workers
• improved initiatives of the “skills for change” type
• create spaces and ensure integration into the community
• improve the retention rate for immigrants who have already been in Canada for some time
• full access to services through “single window” initiatives
• offer settlement services in and through Francophone structures (for example, English and French courses)

Plan With Operational Steps

• automatic review of the immigration process to make immigration easier (time frames); strong competition; exploration visas (vacation, work), refine provincial objectives; get the municipalities more involved; sensitivity to needs of francophones
• sequential prioritization; prioritization of results; regional prioritization
• give the issue an extended basis

Targeted Overseas Recruiting

• target the most productive population pools, and open or reopen some visa offices
• alert potential immigrants to opportunities in Canada; target foreign markets
• target recruitment pools, and position or promote financial and social opportunities within francophone minority communities

Continuous Communication

• better information sharing; a virtual matching centre; tools such as metropolis, net, forum
• develop tools for communicating with communities, and potential immigrants and partners

Action Research Evaluation

• understand the demographic deficit in our communities and the needs it generates
• action research framework
• importance of research; national research network

Long-Term Funding

• ensure stable funding
• develop a planned and organized funding structure, supported by political will and an active champion
• ensure flexibility in the money management process

In the afternoon, participants addressed two key questions suggested by the moderator, having in mind the morning's discussions and the earlier work already undertaken to develop the strategic plan.

Question 1:

Before describing how to implement various initiatives, the strategic plan will have to answer the following question: Why should Francophone minority communities take an interest in immigration? One question among several that should be explored is therefore: Is there a link to be identified between the demographic deficit caused by assimilation and the immigration strategy for Francophone minority communities?

Those who answered in the affirmative made the following points:

• The communities are suffering major losses, and their proportional demographic weight is constantly falling. It is absolutely essential that the proportion of French speaking immigrants make it possible to maintain the demographic weight of the communities.
• Several communities believe that immigration is one of the strategic elements that will make it possible to address the demographic deficit. This is why they are becoming involved in the issue.
• Manitoba has set a target of 10,000 immigrants a year, compared with the 3,000 it had been receiving. The mathematics of the target is simple. Manitoba has 4% of Canada's population. Canada attracts some 250,000 newcomers a year; 4% of 250,000 is 10,000.

Those who answered in the negative made the following points:

• The link between immigration and demographics is an inherently dangerous one. Canada would have to quintuple the number of immigrants to maintain normal population growth. Immigration is not a demographic panacea for all seasons, and will not be one for Francophone minority communities.
• We cannot ask immigrants to solve the problem of assimilation in the communities. We must work to improve the long-term viability of our communities, and immigration is one element to be taken into consideration. A question arises, moreover: If Francophones in minority communities are being assimilated, why will the immigrants themselves not be assimilated too, for similar cultural reasons? Another question is what do we mean by “Francophone immigrant”?

Time did not allow a consensus to be reached on this question. The group suggested that the strategic plan address the following matters:

• It will have to discuss assimilation in terms of identifiable trends.
• It will have to place immigration in a wider context of Canada's linguistic duality, the reinforcement of which will help strengthen Francophone minority communities.
• It is thus possible to pursue several objectives at once. Some have to do with linguistic duality. Moreover the communities can set their own demographic objectives and put in place the long-term means of achieving them.
• French-speaking immigrants must be better integrated into the communities. The strategic plan will have to identify initiatives that have been successful in this respect.
• The strategic plan will have to identify specific outcomes and targets. Several elements must be analysed, including the following:
  • How many French-speaking immigrants are there in our communities?
  • What are their circumstances with regard to employment?
  • Where are they settling?
  • How successful has regionalization been?
• The plan must present some ideas about the conditions for success with regard to immigration in Francophone minority communities.

Question 2:

What should the strategic plan propose by way of a funding structure?

Various views were expressed in an initial canvass of participants:

• The sustainability of the initiative must be ensured. Stable long-term funding is vital.
• As things stand, the communities are compelled to compete in order to secure funding for their projects. The competitive process does not necessarily reflect the needs of Francophone communities with respect to immigration. Some feel it is preferable to have a special program for Francophone immigration in our communities that reflects our needs and priorities.
• Every department, and every program within each department, has its own specific terms of reference. It is difficult to deviate from them. Some feel we should identify all the possible levers within existing programs, before creating new ones.
• It would be useful to explore a horizontal approach to immigration in our communities. Could we consider an IPOLC-type approach to immigration? A fund would be established to serve as a funding source, but in partnership with the departments.
• The funding comes through the provinces. How do we ensure their participation?

As a result of this discussion, the following consensus emerged: the strategic plan should identify the existing resources and the shortfalls between those resources and the priorities established. It should suggest three types of strategy: how to use what is already in place, how to maximize leverage through partnerships, and what new funding, if any, is needed.

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